Ballistic Submarines

Vanguard Ballistic

Vanguard Class

The four Vanguard-class submarines form the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent force. Each of the four boats are armed with Trident 2 D5 nuclear missiles. Like all submarines the Vanguard Class are steam powered, their reactors converting water into steam to drive the engines and generate electricity.

Fitted with world beating sonar, essentially their ears, the system is so sensitive they can hear vessels over 50 miles away.

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Weapons & Missiles

Trident D5 Ballistic Missile
Sea Launches Missile

The Trident nuclear missile is Britain's ultimate deterrent and weapon.

The Trident can be fired at targets up to 7,000 miles away, ejected by high-pressure gas before the rockets fire when the missile reaches the surface. At its fastest it will travel at over 13,000 miles an hour.

Each missile has the ability to deliver eight warheads against a dozen different targets.

Spearfish Torpedo
Anti-submarine torpedo

The Spearfish torpedo is the heavyweight torpedo it weighs nearly two tonnes and is capable of blasting enemy submarines or ships out of the water.

At full speed, Spearfish can attack at target up to 14 miles away. At low speed, that increases to more than 30 miles.

It is guided either by a copper wire or closes on to its target using its inbuilt sonar, delivering a 660lb explosive charge. That detonates either when it strikes the hull of an enemy submarine, or via an acoustic proximity fuse underneath the target.